Preparatory meet held on bio-medical waste
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 07 2017:
A joint preparatory meeting on bio-medical waste management and handling was held today at State Guest House, Sanjenthong under the aegis of the Manipur Pollution Control Board (MPCB) .
The inaugural session was graced by RIMS Director in-charge Dr H Nabachandra, MPCB Chairman and MLA L Radhakishore, JNIMS Director Dr Th Bhimo and RIMS Medical Superintendent Prof Ch Arunkumar as chief guest, president and guests of honour respectively .
The meeting was attended by representatives of different health care units and health care facilities of the State where MPCB Environmental Engineer Kh Premkanta gave a brief account of the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016 .
L Radhakishore said that the State has eight district hospitals, 16 CHCs, 72 PHCs, 42 PHSCs and 20 dispensaries under the Government in addition to 59 registered private hospitals/clinics .
There are also many diagnostic centres and veterinary clinics/dispensaries .
It is a big challenge to handle and dispose bio-medical wastes churned out from these dispensaries/clinics/hospitals and diagnostic centres, Radhakishore said .
People working at health care units starting from attendants to directors/managers need to know about bio-medical wastes .
MPCB functions under a set of rules and Acts and anyone flouting these rules and Acts are culpable, said the MPCB Chairman .
MPCB would soon start monitoring all health care units regardless of whether they are run by the Government or private firms and see that they conform to the Bio-Medical Waste Management and Handling Rules 2016 .
Nonetheless, MPCB would welcome feedbacks and suggestions given by healthcare units, Radhakishore stated .
JNIMS Director Dr Th Bhimo said that the number of infectious diseases has been increasing corresponding to the rising population .
Proper disposal of bio-medical wastes is one prerequisite of a good health care system .
He informed that JNIMS has an incinerator which can burn 100 Kgs of bio-medical wastes in one hour .
RIMS Director in-charge Dr H Nabachandra said that RIMS too has an incinerator of similar capacity which is equipped with autoclave and shredder .
Deben who represented Shija Hospitals and Research Institute claimed that they have a private bio-medical waste treatment plant at Shija Hospital .
But Manipur still lacks a common effluent treatment plant, Deben said.